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West Ham United offered fight to come from two behind but had to settle for a 3-2 defeat on their travels to Newcastle on Saturday afternoon after howlers from Lukasz Fabianski and Craig Dawson.

Here are our player ratings for the Irons from St James’ Park…

Starting XI:

Lukasz Fabianski: 4/10

Failed to communicate with Issa Diop, who would’ve dealt with Allan Saint-Maximin’s shot before the Hammers duo bundled the ball over the line between them. Gifted the Toon a second goal just moments later, letting the ball slip through his hands after misjudging yet another corner, dropping it right at the feet of Joelinton to score.

Craig Dawson: 3/10

After an early yellow card for a foul on Joelinton, he was given his marching orders 10 minutes before the break after chasing down a heavy first touch and clattering into Newcastle’s Brazilian forward. To further pile misery on the Irons, the Magpies scored from that break.

Angelo Ogbonna: 6/10

An important clearance to save Fabianski’s blushes in the early stages of his return from eight games out with a high ankle sprain. Kept West Ham in the game with a team-high three clearances but failed to inspire a win.

Issa Diop: 5/10

Culpable for a horrific mix-up with Fabianski for Newcastle’s opening goal, having failed to sort out who would deal with Saint-Maximin’s shot. Managed to keep his head up and later got on the end of Jarrod Bowen’s delivery to get West Ham back in the game.

Vladimir Coufal: 6/10

A willing runner down the right-hand channel for West Ham and could have scored his first goal for the Irons midway through the second period, only to be denied by a well-placed Martin Dubravka. The quality of his deliveries was occasionally lacking, seeing that possession was often turned over.

Mark Noble: 6/10

On set piece duties after overcoming an elbow injury to feature, but didn’t have a great deal of impact before being replaced by Said Benrahma and handing over the captain’s armband to Ogbonna.

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Tomas Soucek: 6/10

A predominantly quiet afternoon from West Ham’s top scorer but dipped into the action to offer the Irons an aerial presence in the Newcastle penalty area. Occasionally carried possession through midfield and played a superb 50-yard ball to spread play out to Coufal.

Ben Johnson: 8/10

Tasked with offering the Irons width on the left in the absence of hamstring-injury duo Arthur Masuaku and Aaron Cresswell, made his most telling contribution to pull off an excellent goal-line clearance to deny Jacob Murphy in the late stages. A lot of promise from West Ham’s £2.7m-rated academy graduate, who made a team-high three key passes.

Pablo Fornals: 5/10

A loose backpass cheaply turned over possession and forced Dawson into a foul on Joelinton, resulting in the centre-back being cautioned. Smashed an effort wide of the goal midway through the first half and wasted a lofted cross in stoppage time.

Jarrod Bowen: 6/10

A quiet day while tasked with leading the attack in the absence of Michail Antonio as he continues to recover from a hamstring injury, but Bowen lifted his head to find Diop in the box with a pinpoint chip for a route back into the game.

Jesse Lingard: 6/10

Got on the ball plenty after the break as Newcastle sought to sit in and protect their two-goal lead, but wasted a hatful of chances with either poor deliveries or hopeful shots. Made up for his off-moments with a thunderous penalty to pull West Ham level.

Substitutes:

Said Benrahma: 6/10 (on 75th min)

Tried a number of delicate runs after his introduction but could not squeeze through often enough. Delivered a brilliant ball into the box in stoppage time but no West Ham player got on the end of it.

Manuel Lanzini: N/A (on 87th min)

Little time to influence the game after replacing Lingard, who required treatment for a hamstring issue which appeared to be cramp. Took a late corner but his delivery was awful.

Ryan Fredericks: N/A (on 90+4)

Unused subs: Nathan Trott (GK), David Martin (GK), Frederik Alves, Fabian Balbuena, Conor Coventry, Manuel Lanzini, Andriy Yarmolenko

AND in other news, a £4.5m-rated West Ham enforcer is being lined up for a summer move out of east London…

Farhad Moshiri played a blinder in backing a permanent centre-back transfer last summer after Marcel Brands revealed the Everton owner’s role in Ben Godfrey’s move from Norwich City.

What’s the word?

In quotes shared by the Liverpool Echo, Brands has told the Toffees’ USA Live event that Godfrey became the club’s number one target after the intervention of Moshiri.

The defender sealed a £20m move to Goodison Park at the start of October and has proven to be a key player for Carlo Ancelotti, with minutes across the Italian’s backline in 29 of a possible 32 games in all competitions.

Everton were not initially targeting a centre-back but were forced to make a quick change to their end-of-window plans in September after Mason Holgate sustained a toe injury and Jarrad Branthwaite tore ligaments in his ankle.

The Blues were unsure whether to add depth to Ancelotti’s unit with a temporary or permanent solution, but the influence of Moshiri led to a full-time deal being struck with Norwich for Godfrey.

“He was on our list already for two years, and when I had the discussion this summer with Carlo, the Chairman and our owner, we had to decide if we were looking for a centre-back on loan or if we want to buy,” Brands said.

“Our owner preferred to do a permanent, so Ben Godfrey was the first one on our list – and I think we did our homework well. He’s a great character, great athlete. He really adapted quickly to the level and to the club. I think the fans loved him from the beginning and that’s a good thing to see.”

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A blinder from Moshiri

While Everton may not have been sure whether to explore a loan deal or make a permanent centre-back signing last year before Moshiri stepped in, the Blues chief certainly played a blinder by backing a full-time deal being struck.

Everton were left in an uncomfortable situation in the summer 2019 market when Marco Silva sought to sign Kurt Zouma at the end of his season-long loan spell from Chelsea, having seen the Frenchman impress in royal blue but hold no option to retain him long-term.

Zouma eventually returned to Stamford Bridge after the southwest London natives slapped a minimum £30m asking price on the 26-year-old, and he has featured in 28 Premier League games last term and 19 so far this season.

The Toffees would have rued being in the same position with Godfrey had they only signed the centre-back on loan from Norwich, having seen the 23-year-old establish himself as a key part of Ancelotti’s defence.

Godfrey has covered at left-back when Lucas Digne has been injured, featured occasionally at right-back and played regularly at centre-half over his 29 outings in all competitions since his move.

The England under-21 international’s efforts reportedly led Tottenham Hotspur to launch an inquiry into why they passed on his potential availability, while many Everton supporters often laud the defender who Ancelotti has hailed as being “fantastic” and “tactically intelligent”.

With the manager also considering Godfrey to be the best of his current centre-back options and the one with the most potential, the Italian seemingly owes a lot of gratitude to Moshiri for backing Everton to make a permanent move for the 23-year-old last year.

AND in other news, Carlo Ancelotti set to make shrewd Everton appointment with “hugely popular” coach…

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, Rob Lee, who is a Newcastle United Hall of Famer, has backed his former side to sign Joe Willock.

Willock arrived on loan from Arsenal on Deadline Day in January and he proved to be Steve Bruce’s first and only signing of the month, despite the Magpies appearing to be in the thick of a relegation battle.

Since his arrival, Willock has popped up with some important goals, such as the late equaliser against Tottenham Hotspur a late winner against West Ham and another late leveller in a 1-1 draw with Liverpool at Anfield, and his form has led to reports linking the Magpies with a permanent move for the midfielder.

Speaking about his thoughts on whether Newcastle should look to make the deal permanent and how much they should be looking to pay for the 21-year old, Lee told FFC:

“I think for what he’s done in the game £20 million is too much, but that’s the price you have to pay sometimes. But I would say that at £15 million, we buy him.

“I think he has potential to get better and he will improve the team straightaway, which is good but people are starting to demand astronomical prices for average players.”

Arsenal may be willing to listen to offers for Willock but are reportedly preparing to increase their asking price for the youngster on the back of his impact at St. James’ Park.

Bruce has started the last four games with Willock on the bench but the £20,000 per week midfielder has made a huge impact in the three games he has come on, which will make it difficult for the manager to keep him out of the starting line up moving forward.

Newcastle could sign their new Demba Ba in Young Boys striker Jean-Pierre Nsame.

What’s the story?

The Magpies have once again found goals hard to come by in the Premier League this season, with top scorer Callum Wilson only on ten amid an injury-hit debut campaign at St James’ Park.

TEAMtalk have now claimed that Steve Bruce’s side have their eye on Nsame, although they are set to face significant competition for the Cameroon international’s signature. The report added that the likes of Southampton, West Ham and Celtic are all interested in him as well.

A new Demba Ba

Barring the recent arrival of Wilson, Newcastle haven’t really had a proven Premier League striker in their ranks since Demba Ba was lighting up St James’ Park.

The Senegal international developed into a real fans’ favourite at the club, bagging an incredible 29 times in just 58 games in all competitions, including a real knack for scoring some sublime acrobatic goals. In Nsame, they could find something quite close to their former hero.

Speaking last year, Young Boys manager Gerardo Seoane raved about the 27-year-old’s ability, saying: “Jean-Pierre Nsamé has had an extraordinary season. He has really progressed especially in terms of taking responsibility in the team.”

“He is very physical, with an unbelievable ability in front of goal. He is very present in the penalty area and all the balls that comes, he puts them in the back of the net, thanks to his technique and strength.”

That combination of “technique and strength” is exactly what marked out Ba as a real Premier League force, and why Chelsea ended up luring him to Stamford Bridge.

With 129 goals to his name in his professional career, Nsame has become an incredibly prolific striker at Young Boys, with his impressive haul of 32 goals last season seeing him become the Swiss League’s all-time top scorer in a single campaign.

With another 25 goals to his name this year, the striker is just continuing where he left off and it’s no surprise that clubs across Europe have sat up and taken notice.

Mike Ashley must be all over a deal for the Cameroon forward this summer.

In other news, Rob Lee has hailed one Newcastle ace as a game-changer.

Many West Ham United fans have demanded that Craig Dawson start for the Hammers against Burnley in the Premier League on Monday night.

The Irons face Sean Dyche’s men as they continue their fight for a spot in European football next season. As it stands, they are sixth in the table, but a win would see them move above Tottenham into fifth place. That would leave them just three points behind Chelsea in fourth (Sky Sports), who currently hold on to the last Champions League spot.

In Burnley, they face a side still not mathematically safe from relegation. However, the Clarets can often be difficult opponents, so it promises to be a tight affair, while they possess a red-hot striker in Chris Wood who has netted six goals in his last six matches, including a hat-trick at Wolves last week.

Dawson was sent off during West Ham’s 3-2 defeat to Newcastle last month, but numerous fans have now demanded his return to the starting line-up. Only two current team-mates have won more headers per game this season, illustrating his solidity at the back.

These supporters took to social media platform Twitter to implore manager David Moyes to pick Dawson at the heart of the defence, believing that his selection could be “key” to their chances of victory at Turf Moor.

Let’s see what the fans had to say about Dawson below

“Personally think Virgil Van Dawson will be key tonight”

Credit: @WestHam_Central

“Chris Wood would have Diop on toast. Put Dawson in. No need for 5 at the back against Burnley.”

Credit: @Jhausler28

“Our fans do my nut in. Craig Dawson was like prime Bobby Moore just a few games ago, then because he’s not been decent in the games since, he shouldn’t be allowed anywhere near the line-up. Geezer was arguably MOTM at home to Burnley. Need him to ruffle Burnley up a bit.”

Credit: @23HPork

“Must start Dawson today”

Credit: @tomcase87

“For me Dawson has to play tonight. He’s the most Burnley like player we have. He can handle Chris Wood”

Credit: @WHUsamzini

“Dawson quite simply must start tonight to deal with Chris Wood”

Credit: @stephenlott

In other news, Frank McAvennie wants the Irons to sign this striker.

Spurs are on the lookout for a new central defender as one of their top priorities this summer, and according to reports, they have made some inquiries…

What’s the word?

According to Sky Sports’ Lyall Thomas, one of the names that the North London outfit are taking a look at is Southampton colossus Jannik Vestergaard.

It’s claimed that Spurs are assessing their options ahead of the upcoming transfer window, and it is not the first time they have been linked with the Denmark international.

Last month, the Daily Express suggested the Lilywhites would target Vestergaard as will soon enter the final year of his current £60k-per-week contract at St Mary’s Stadium, and it is thought he would be available for around £18m.

Daniel Levy has done business with the Saints before, most recently snatching their former skipper Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg from their grasp for just £15m, with rarely-seen defender Kyle Walker-Peters going in the other direction for £12m, as per the Independent.

Bye-bye Sanchez?

It is believed that Spurs will have to sell before they buy this summer, according to the Daily Mail, and there could be many names on the chopping block for whoever takes the helm ahead of the new campaign.

One name that could leave is Davinson Sanchez, who has been linked with a return to Eredivisie champions Ajax, where he initially joined from in a then club-record £42m deal, in recent weeks and is said to be ‘likely to leave.’

The Dutch outfit’s former assistant coach Gerard van der Lem revealed that the 24-year-old was someone the club were looking at – speaking on NH Radio Sportcafe (via quotes sourced by AjaxShowTime), he said:

“I have heard in the corridors that they want to bring him back. The question is on what basis. In England, it is a purchase that does not work, then they sell him for thirty per cent less; they don’t care. The best is if you can buy him, but if you can [loan] him, that’s of course great.”

Given Levy needs to raise finances to fund any deal, he should look to sanction his exit and use the money to bring in Vestergaard, who appears to be a far more reliable option in the Premier League.

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Just last month, following Spurs’ draw to relegation-threatened Newcastle, ex-ROI captain Kenny Cunningham slammed the Colombian as “a real liability to his team” whilst former Sheffield United midfielder Curtis Woodhouse believes the “clumsy” centre-back “probably costs” Spurs “20 goals a season.”

The 6 foot 6 monster, however, has been attributed as being crucial to the Saints’ recent rise under Ralph Hasenhuttl. “An outcast for much of last season, an epitome of the transformation since last autumn,” wrote Ben Fisher in the Guardian.

Indeed, he currently rates out as Southampton’s second-best player (6.97), as per WhoScored ratings, only sat behind James Ward-Prowse (7.05).

He’s not just a hugely imposing aerial threat either, he’s equally adept with the ball at his feet, where he has managed an 83.3% passing accuracy despite spraying 3.6 long balls per game – the most of any outfield player on the south coast.

Again, only Ward-Prowse is better with the ball at his feet and that’s understandable as he’s a midfielder.

The Dane’s form led to high praise from Martin Keown back in January, where he compared him to a fellow Premier League beast. He told talkSPORT:

“It’s his passing. It reminds me of [Virgil] Van Dijk. I call it a stationary platform. When you don’t run with the ball you stop and when you look at those two, the way the ping balls, the way he threads things into midfield, the challenges, he’s a big man.”

Not to mention that the current Saints star also has leadership qualities that would appeal to a team like Tottenham. Hasenhuttl described him as a “real leader on the pitch” recently.

Van Dijk swapped St Mary’s for Liverpool and has never looked back since, and it is that sort of presence that Spurs desperately need in the heart of their defence as recurring defensive mistakes have been the defining theme of their turbulent and troubled season.

Sanchez has been a huge part of their erroneous ways, so it’s time to move him on amid interest from his former club and Levy would do no wrong in signing Vestergaard, especially if he’s truly shades of Van Dijk.

For £18m, it’s a no-brainer.

AND in other news, Levy could excite Spurs fans by hiring “hyper-offensive” 63 y/o who’s adored by Zidane…

Frank Lampard has emerged as a leading contender to replace Roy Hodgson at Crystal Palace this summer…

What’s the word?

That’s according to the Telegraph’s Matt Law, who claims that the former Chelsea boss would be amongst the top candidates to be offered the Eagles job should they move on from the 73-year-old next month.

It is thought that Palace have been deliberating over whether or not to make a change and Lampard should be available as he is not interested in taking a up the vacant position as the next England U21 boss.

The report also suggests that the 42-year-old would likely want assurances he would be given the opportunity to progress the southeast Londoners up the Premier League table after several seasons languishing in midtable.

Fans will be buzzing

This development is a really interesting twist as Hodgson’s tenure moves ever closer to coming to a conclusion after four years.

In that time, the veteran coach has helped establish Palace as a regular and stable top-flight side, though they have never finished above 11th under his stewardship.

And with young names coming through like Tyrick Mitchell as well as the club targeting players with plenty of potential such as Eberechi Eze, it could well be time to move on for all parties involved.

Especially given recent fan reaction suggesting that under Hodgson, the Eagles were never showing any ambition and that he should retire, which can be read in full here.

The 73-year-old has only won 33% of his matches in charge of the club, whilst at Stamford Bridge, Lampard brought home a win rate of 52%, and even that wasn’t enough for him to keep his job.

Lampard would be a fresh change in the dugout and one that could see them transition nicely into next season, with those aforementioned players and aims being a crucial part of their long-term future.

The former Chelsea player brought through the likes of Mason Mount and Reece James, both of which have gone onto become first-team regulars under Thomas Tuchel and both are likely to be competing in the Champions League final.

Furthermore, the report claims that his presence could bolster their chances of clinching Tammy Abraham or Billy Gilmour, who have both been linked with moves in the past.

Steve Parish could do very little wrong in hiring Lampard to be his next manager, it would certainly appease the fanbase and would kickstart an exciting era at Selhurst Park.

AND in other news, 40 y/o tipped for Crystal Palace job, Parish must now act…

West Brom have battled hard to beat the drop in recent weeks but it was too little, too late as relegation back to the Championship was confirmed last week following a defeat to Arsenal.

The Baggies only have their pride to play for ahead of Wednesday night’s encounter with West Ham United, though manager Sam Allardyce will undoubtedly want to see a result against his former club.

Last time out, Albion were well-beaten by last season’s champions, Liverpool, at the Hawthorns and return to the same scene as the Irons are looking to bolster their European claims.

Big Sam’s current squad is awash with temporary loan players, including Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Conor Gallagher, and MBaye Diagne and there can be an argument that they shouldn’t feature if the 66-year-old has one eye on next season.

However, there are other players in the side that have continually let the Midlands club down and it is these that the West Brom boss must avoid playing in these final two matches, starting tonight.

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In a strange move to drop Diagne from the starting XI at the weekend, Big Sam opted for the rarely-seen talents of Hal Robson-Kanu and he even found the net but he was merely capitalising on a woeful defensive mistake.

The 31-year-old Welshman is out of contract in the summer, when his reported £30k-per-week contract comes to an end after five seasons at the club.

His start at the weekend was actually his first in the Premier League all season, with his only other appearances coming in the Carabao Cup, in which Albion were knocked out early with him captaining the side.

That speaks volumes and is perhaps why he’s still set to depart the club next month.

Once lauded as an “absolute machine” by former Reading teammate Jem Karacan, he has evidently seen some regression to his game in the past year and considering he’s not going to be involved in the Championship next season, it would be pretty pointless to start him in this match.

If he’s not wanting to deploy Diagne anymore, then Allardyce should look to Karlan Grant – the Baggies’ £12m summer signing, who signed a whopping six-year deal.

He has played just 32 minutes since early February yet is the most likely option to lead the line next term. He needs game time, not Robson-Kanu.

Starting the veteran is only going to hold them back in the long term, so he must be axed from the starting XI this evening as West Brom look to plan for life in the Championship.

AND in other news, Fresh twist emerges over West Brom job amid Allardyce claim, it’s bad news for fans…

Lille defender Sven Botman has addressed rumours linking him with a summer switch to Liverpool, claiming it’s a ‘compliment’ when clubs like the six-time European champions are interested.

The 21-year-old defender has enjoyed a fabulous maiden campaign with the Ligue 1 table toppers, starting 36 of their 37 league games as they attempt to end Paris Saint-Germain’s domestic domination.

Despite only being at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy for six months following a £7m move from Dutch giants Ajax, Jurgen Klopp’s charges attempted to acquire the centre-back’s signature back in January in order to address the Reds’ injury crisis.

In an interview with The Athletic, the Dutch Under-21’s international commented on Liverpool’s interest and their reported pursuit of him over the winter.

“It is a good compliment when you hear these clubs are interested. I’m lying if I say it’s not interesting me — it’s the first time such big clubs are linked to me — but it was early days because in January, I was only at Lille for half a season,” revealed Botman.

“It was nice to hear, but I was focusing on Lille, and I’m still doing this. After the season I will enjoy a vacation and see what happens next.”

Botman’s admiration of the Reds may provide Klopp’s men with a significant boost in their pursuit of the youngster, and WhoScored’s report labelling him ‘the next Van Dijk’ could put him top of some fans’ wishlist.

Christophe Galtier’s men are currently leading PSG by one point at the top of the French first division with one game remaining, and Botman will go down in history if he is part of a side that ends the capital club’s three-year winning run.

However, given the unstable nature of French football’s finances, Les Dogues could be willing to part ways with one of their prized assets over the summer, and if that’s the case, Liverpool must take advantage.

With Virgil van Dijk still recovering from a potentially career-changing injury and the perpetually plagued Joel Matip and Joe Gomez also on the treatment table, Liverpool can’t afford not to strengthen at the heart of defence over the upcoming transfer window.

RB Leipzig’s Ibrahima Konate has also been linked with a move to Anfield, but the Frenchman has his own injury issues, and therefore, a move for Botman is arguably the logical and safest solution.

Even if the Reds make Ozan Kabak’s move to Liverpool a permanent one, they still need another centre-back given the fitness concerns over both Matip and Gomez. Botman fits the bill perfectly.

And, in other news…Forget Alisson: “Outstanding” LFC gem who had 120 touches was Klopp’s key man vs WBA

According to a report by the Sun, West Ham United are leading the race to sign Blackburn Rovers star Adam Armstrong alongside Fulham – with manager David Moyes looking to bolster his forward options this summer. 

The Lowdown: Moyes on the striker chase

As well as prioritising a permanent deal for Jesse Lingard (Claret & Hugh), and more recently a new goalkeeper (talkSPORT), West Ham are on the hunt for a prolific forward who can strengthen their attacking options for the 2021/2022 season.

The Irons are just one point away from securing qualification for the Europa League next campaign and manager Moyes will need to bolster his squad with new players in key positions.

The Latest: West Ham hot on heels of Armstrong

Bringing the latest, a report from the Sun details how West Ham are currently leading the pack to sign Armstrong this summer alongside Fulham – but they may have to fork out around £25 million to get a deal done.

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It is said that both Brighton and Everton are also in the race for his signature but the two London sides are currently favourites ahead of them.

Rovers have been attempting to tie their star man down with a new deal but to no avail, and with just one year remaining on Armstrong’s current deal, the Ewood Park side are close to cashing in.

The Verdict: £25 million, a bit steep?

Valued at £25m, it could be argued that such money should be put to better use elsewhere.

A permanent move for Lingard could cost around that amount and the goalkeeping position is also said to be an area Moyes wants to strengthen ahead for next season.

If the Irons are going to shell out £25m on a striker, supporters may want it to be someone with more top flight experience, even if Armstrong has managed a brilliant 28 goals and five assists in the Championship over 2020/2021 (Transfermarkt).

Speaking to Football Insider, pundit Gabriel Agbonlahor touted Armstrong as a potentially ‘perfect signing’ for West Ham, but we’re inclined to disagree with the former Premier League striker’s verdict given the price tag involved.

In other news: West Ham make approach to sign ‘outstanding’ £120,000-per-week attacker, find out more here.